Wow. Looking back, 2017 has been so good to me. I feel so blessed to think about all the opportunities I had, how much growth I went through, both professionally and personally, and how much love I felt. There are a lot of things I am thankful for in my life and all that 2017 brought me, but I’ve narrowed them down into 5 major take-a-aways.

What you did in the past is not a direct correlation of what you will do in the future.So much of what we do is shaped by what we have experienced throughout our life. However, we should never limit ourselves to this box of life experiences. It is never too late to do what truly makes you happy, make the thing you’ve always dreamt about a reality, or break a nasty habit. Even if you’ve tried before and failed, it does not mean you will fail again. If you’ve been following along with me on Instagram, you know I’ve tested myself with a 21 day workout challenge. More on that another time, but one of the things the trainer said that stuck with me was, “If you’re tired of failing, stop giving up.” How true! Take the past failures and use them as motivation to move forward and succeed and reach your full potential.

Never stop learning. Learning is an investment. Your knowledge is something that no one can ever take away from you. Invest in yourself and take every opportunity to learn. Some things we learn will come from both good and bad experiences, but in everything, find the lesson. Sign up for a course to learn a new skill. Dedicate 2 hours every week to self improvement and learn something new, through reading or simply looking up YouTube videos. Whatever way you do it, learn! And always pray to have the desire to learn!

We are our own worst critics.Story. Of. My. Life. We are capable of convincing ourselves of anything, that includes that we aren’t good enough. I’m here to tell you, YOU ARE. There is only one you in this world. Go about life feeling like that hidden gem because you are. You are rare, you are special, and the world is freaking lucky to have you. Our culture is at an all time high for temptations to compare ourselves to others. With social media it is so easy and I will admit I fall into that temptation a lot. That spirals into being hard on myself for all the things I don’t have or didn’t do. Well 2017, thank you for teaching me that it is all in my head. It’s like that saying, ‘Making mountains out of mole hills’. We see our imperfections (because we all have them, we’re human) and amplify them so much until that’s all we see!! We need to stop this!! These imperfections are beautiful and we need to start embracing them. Turn it into a learning experience!

That being said, when we critique ourselves, that’s when we need our support system. Lesson 4 is finding your support system.I always thought it was so funny when people said ‘Find Your Tribe’, but it’s so true!! Growing up, I had a lot of acquaintances; people I’d pass in the hallways and say hello to, people I really enjoyed talking to and getting to know, and people who I genuinely wanted to help, but few that I come to when I need help. It is hard for me to ask for help, but in 2017 I’ve learned I can’t do it on my own. None of us can. I have learned to lean on my husband, my sisters, my parents, my in-laws and close friends -- not as a crutch, but as supporters, voices of reason, cheerleaders, helpful advisors and people to learn from. We all need people we can turn to and ask for help. As a solopreneur I’ve first handedly learned that doing things alone does not make you tough. In fact, it makes you weaker. Find your tribe!

Lastly, when you give it your all you will succeed. It may not be right away, and it may not be in the exact way you thought, but you will succeed. Another thing the fitness instructor says is to focus on the exercise you are currently on. Not what you just did and not what is coming next, but right now. Give it your all. When you live life like that, giving everything you do your all, that hard work will be recognized. Jen Sincero points to this in her book, You are a Badass. The idea that we all perform at a certain vibration level. The vibrations you put out is the vibrations that you will attract. So not only should you give things your all, but be transformed by the opportunity to do them and continue to strive for a higher vibration level. It is then that you will attract the success you’re looking for.

A little exercise I did was write a letter to 2017 as if it was a person. I listed all the things I was thankful for that it gave me, as well as all the hard lessons it taught me. I also recognized my shortcomings and successes. Then I wrote a letter to 2018 with all the dreams and goals I want to accomplish. I put words to the opportunities I want to attract and experiences I want to have. Most importantly I asked for the courage to go into the unknown and embrace the surprises, both good and bad. I highly suggest you try it!

Thank you 2017 for being so wonderful to me. 2018, we are going to do some great things together.

I hope you are all enjoying the holidays with your family and friends surrounding you!!

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Emily has a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Iowa State University. There she learned how valuable organization can be in being productive. She chose to use this knowledge and help others achieve this productivity and optimization in their homes and small businesses. Read & Enjoy and as always, let us know if you have any questions!